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Shaffer Elementary School

Summary:

Shaffer Elementary School is a public elementary school in Littleton, Colorado, serving 503 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which is ranked 35 out of 116 school districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Shaffer Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state averages in academic assessments, with 65.3% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 59.5% in Math, compared to 51.8% and 40.7% for the district, respectively. The school also excels in 5th-grade Science, with a 57.3% proficiency rate, well above the district (46.6%) and state (37.9%) averages. Shaffer Elementary has been ranked among the top 5-10% of Colorado elementary schools over the past decade, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's exceptional performance extends to specific student subgroups, with high rankings for male students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

While Shaffer Elementary has a relatively homogeneous student population, with 81.31% of students identifying as White, the school's academic excellence is noteworthy when compared to nearby schools. Nearby high-performing schools like Bradford K8 South, Ute Meadows Elementary, and Coronado Elementary also rank among the top elementary schools in Colorado, indicating a strong educational environment in the Littleton area. However, some nearby schools, such as Columbine Hills Elementary, Powderhorn Elementary, and Mortensen Elementary, have lower academic performance and rankings compared to Shaffer Elementary.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 7961 S Sangre De Cristo Road
       Littleton, CO  80127-3901

(303) 982-3901

District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1

SchoolDigger Rank:
128th of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,389 Help


Students who attend Shaffer Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Falcon Bluffs Middle School
High:    Chatfield High School

Student/teacher ratio:  18.4 Help
Number of students:  503

Racial breakdown:

White:
81.3%
Hispanic:
11.9%
Two or more races:
4.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  16.1% Help


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 Compare Shaffer Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Shaffer Elementary School ranks better than 86.4% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 17th among 85 ranked elementary schools in the Jefferson County School District No. R-1. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 84.39. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Shaffer Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Jefferson County School District No. R-1.  (See more...)
Teachers
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Shaffer Elementary School is $14,389. 69 elementary schools in the Jefferson County School District No. R-1 spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Shaffer Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Shaffer Elementary School 128th of 943 Colorado public elementary schools. (See Shaffer Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Jefferson County School District No. R-1:

SchoolDigger ranks Jefferson County School District No. R-1 35th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Shaffer Elementary School?

Rank History for Shaffer Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Shaffer Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 79.57 149th 808 81.6%
2005 87.28 68th 823 91.7%
2006 87.17 68th 829 91.8%
2007 88.90 50th 852 94.1%
2008 89.44 47th 849 94.5%
2009 85.57 87th 872 90.0%
2010 84.86 104th 925 88.8%
2011 85.08 113th 935 87.9%
2012 86.05 101st 935 89.2%
2013 87.84 78th 954 91.8%
2014 86.17 98th 962 89.8%
2015 87.82 89th 938 90.5%
2016 88.41 77th 914 91.6%
2017 86.87 93rd 929 90.0%
2018 86.93 98th 917 89.3%
2019 89.73 79th 965 91.8%
2021 90.25 62nd 710 91.3%
2022 82.53 141st 921 84.7%
2023 87.24 97th 933 89.6%
2024 84.39 128th 943 86.4%
See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Shaffer Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 73.65 57th 365 84.4%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Shaffer Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.09 89th 690 87.1%
2019 83.50 91st 758 88.0%
2021 81.90 64th 351 81.8%
2022 76.54 114th 595 80.8%
2023 69.51 177th 642 72.4%
2024 68.41 195th 684 71.5%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Shaffer Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.64 77th 84 8.3%
2019 44.35 79th 110 28.2%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Shaffer Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 81.31 106th 693 84.7%
2019 87.41 68th 764 91.1%
2021 87.23 46th 352 86.9%
2022 74.68 133rd 594 77.6%
2023 87.25 65th 649 90.0%
2024 83.63 89th 683 87.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Shaffer Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 75.26 114th 596 80.9%
2022 65.15 158th 454 65.2%
2023 71.41 129th 525 75.4%
2024 66.47 170th 539 68.5%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Shaffer Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Open Quote We are very pleased with Shaffer Elementary. Our kids have been going through the grades there for years and we are nearly done. I'm sad to part ways soon. The teachers and administration have always been quick to address any concerns we have.

I like how Shaffer pulls from a variety of neighborhoods in the area, which gives kids experience in dealing with people who aren't exactly like them.

Parent involvement and volunteering is amazing. A real team effort between the parents and teachers. Keep up the great work! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Shaffer Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 724 2 16 19 2 n/a n/a 0 763
1989 758 2 11 19 1 n/a n/a 0 791
1990 796 4 11 23 1 n/a n/a 0 835
1991 784 5 14 21 1 n/a n/a 0 825
1992 771 5 19 29 7 n/a n/a 0 831
1993 778 6 18 29 4 n/a n/a 0 835
1994 813 2 13 32 4 n/a n/a 0 864
1995 508 2 9 26 2 n/a n/a 0 547
1996 508 2 9 26 2 n/a n/a 0 547
1997 469 3 8 22 1 n/a n/a 0 503
1998 448 3 7 25 2 n/a n/a 0 485
1999 476 3 8 23 0 n/a n/a 0 510
2000 446 4 8 20 0 n/a n/a 0 478
2001 454 5 12 32 1 n/a n/a 0 504
2002 482 7 17 31 5 n/a n/a 0 542
2003 482 7 17 31 5 n/a n/a 0 542
2004 534 7 16 39 5 n/a n/a 0 601
2005 549 4 17 41 3 n/a n/a 0 614
2006 499 3 8 30 2 n/a n/a 0 542
2007 530 5 12 36 2 n/a n/a 0 585
2008 540 5 13 36 1 n/a n/a 0 595
2009 563 6 12 33 2 n/a n/a 0 616
2010 599 3 12 27 4 n/a n/a 0 645
2011 560 3 4 46 1 1 23 0 638
2012 543 2 7 43 2 1 16 0 614
2013 527 2 10 46 2 1 14 0 602
2014 495 1 11 51 2 0 17 0 577
2015 447 2 11 64 2 0 17 0 543
2016 426 3 16 63 2 1 24 0 535
2017 416 2 14 60 2 1 23 0 518
2018 424 1 8 56 1 0 24 0 514
2019 432 1 10 58 1 0 22 0 524
2020 425 1 10 58 1 0 23 0 518
2021 404 2 9 47 1 0 19 0 482
2022 430 4 8 53 0 0 19 0 514
2023 409 2 10 60 0 0 22 0 503

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Shaffer Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 763 29.5 25.8 n/a
1989 791 35.7 22.1 2.4
1990 835 35.2 23.7 2.4
1991 825 33.7 24.4 1.5
1992 831 37.4 22.2 3
1993 835 36.0 23.2 16.3
1994 864 38.1 22.7 2.4
1995 547 24.1 22.7 1.3
1996 547 24.1 22.7 1.3
1997 503 23.6 21.3 1.6
1998 485 20.9 23.2 1.6
1999 510 24.8 20.6 1
2000 478 23.0 20.8 2.7
2001 504 26.3 19.2 3.8
2002 542 29.9 18.1 3.5
2003 542 29.9 18.1 3.5
2004 601 30.8 19.5 4.3
2005 614 30.0 20.5 3.7
2006 542 29.9 18.1 5.5
2007 585 31.7 18.5 6.5
2008 595 33.2 17.9 4.9
2009 616 36.3 17.0 3.7
2010 645 34.3 18.7 4.3
2011 638 33.3 19.1 7.1
2012 614 30.9 19.8 7.2
2013 602 30.0 20.0 6.8
2014 577 29.6 19.4 8.7
2015 543 28.0 19.3 9
2016 535 26.0 20.5 10.7
2017 518 25.0 20.6 10
2018 514 25.0 20.5 8.4
2019 524 26.1 20.0 10.7
2020 518 27.2 19.0 10.8
2021 482 27.3 17.6 12.4
2022 514 27.2 18.8 11.5
2023 503 27.2 18.4 16.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Shaffer Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 763 29.5 25.8 n/a
1989 791 35.7 22.1 2.4
1990 835 35.2 23.7 2.4
1991 825 33.7 24.4 1.5
1992 831 37.4 22.2 3
1993 835 36.0 23.2 16.3
1994 864 38.1 22.7 2.4
1995 547 24.1 22.7 1.3
1996 547 24.1 22.7 1.3
1997 503 23.6 21.3 1.6
1998 485 20.9 23.2 1.6
1999 510 24.8 20.6 1
2000 478 23.0 20.8 2.7
2001 504 26.3 19.2 3.8
2002 542 29.9 18.1 3.5
2003 542 29.9 18.1 3.5
2004 601 30.8 19.5 4.3
2005 614 30.0 20.5 3.7
2006 542 29.9 18.1 5.5
2007 585 31.7 18.5 6.5
2008 595 33.2 17.9 4.9
2009 616 36.3 17.0 3.7
2010 645 34.3 18.7 4.3
2011 638 33.3 19.1 7.1
2012 614 30.9 19.8 7.2
2013 602 30.0 20.0 6.8
2014 577 29.6 19.4 8.7
2015 543 28.0 19.3 9
2016 535 26.0 20.5 10.7
2017 518 25.0 20.6 10
2018 514 25.0 20.5 8.4
2019 524 26.1 20.0 10.7
2020 518 27.2 19.0 10.8
2021 482 27.3 17.6 12.4
2022 514 27.2 18.8 11.5
2023 503 27.2 18.4 16.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Shaffer Elementary School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $10,768
2020 $11,244
2021 $11,618
2022 $12,594
2023 $14,389

Data source: Colorado Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Shaffer Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 79th of 965 Elementary schoolsRanks 97th of 933 Elementary schools
 2.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Shaffer Elementary School)71.662.3
 9.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)46.348.2
 1.9%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)41.339.9
 1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Shaffer Elementary School)63.570
 6.5%
   3rd Grade Math (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)45.748.1
 2.4%
   3rd Grade Math (Colorado)4140.4
 0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Shaffer Elementary School)75.661.9
 13.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)5653.5
 2.5%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)4843.8
 4.2%
4th Grade Math (Shaffer Elementary School)5954.8
 4.2%
   4th Grade Math (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)38.539.9
 1.4%
   4th Grade Math (Colorado)33.632.7
 0.9%
5th Grade Science (Shaffer Elementary School)60.552.6
 7.9%
   5th Grade Science (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)41.641.6
   5th Grade Science (Colorado)35.933.9
 2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Shaffer Elementary School)66.373.7
 7.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)53.655.6
 2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)48.447.8
 0.6%
5th Grade Math (Shaffer Elementary School)58.861.8
 3%
   5th Grade Math (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)39.441.7
 2.3%
   5th Grade Math (Colorado)35.736.5
 0.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Shaffer Elementary School)71.165.9
 5.2%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)51.750.8
 0.9%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)45.843.7
 2.1%
All Grades Math (Shaffer Elementary School)60.361.7
 1.4%
   All Grades Math (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)39.838.7
 1.1%
   All Grades Math (Colorado)34.732.9
 1.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students524503
 4%
African American12
 100%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian1010
Hispanic5860
 3.4%
Pacific Islander00
White432409
 5.3%
Two or More Races2222
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients10.7%16.1%
 5.4%

Schools Near Shaffer Elementary School








Frequently Asked Questions about Shaffer Elementary School

Students at Shaffer Elementary School are 81% White, 12% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 503 students attended Shaffer Elementary School.

Students who attend Shaffer Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Falcon Bluffs Middle School
High : Chatfield High School

Shaffer Elementary School ranks 128th of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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